(Radio Iowa) – Officials with the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids are raising concerns about Alliant Energy’s plan for a gas-fired power plant nearby. The proposed facility would include two turbines powered by natural gas, just over a mile from the edge of a runway that’s under construction.

Airport director Marty Lenss says plumes from the turbines, which could be up to 250 feet tall, would pose significant risks to flight operations. “Both of those approach corridors scissor at a time with aircraft that are, particularly in inclement weather, are at critical stages of flight,” Lenss says. “We have to protect that corridor and this location just puts too much at risk for the airport to get to a conclusion it’s a good idea.”

Radio Iowa photo

Lenss says he’s concerned about the height of the turbines, as well as the plumes creating visibility and turbulence issues. He says they’d intrude on critical airspace. “Could the plumes interrupt an approach to a runway such that a pilot could not see the runway, would not be able to land and would have to divert to an alternative airport? Yes, that’s a very real possibility,” Lenss says, “and it happens today because of plumes that impact the airport.”

Airport officials are organizing a meeting with Alliant Energy to discuss alternative sites for the power plant.

A statement from Alliant says the company is in the early stages of its site selection process. Alliant says it’s continuing its work with officials from Fairfax and Cedar Rapids to determine if the facility would be compatible with airport operations.

(Radio Iowa) – Strong storms blew into northern and eastern Iowa last night packing winds clocked in some areas from 70 to 100 miles and hour. Sioux County Emergency Management Coordinator Ryan De Kruyf says it hit there around 9:15p-m. “Throughout the county, we’re seeing a lot of tree damage, infrastructure damage, trees that fell on houses, and yeah, it’s ‘s pretty remarkable to drive around and there’s not a lot of areas that don’t have any damage whatsoever,” he says. Some 10-thousand homes were without power and De Kruyf says crews are working to get that restored. “Be cautious and if you don’t have to be out, definitely don’t be out and looking around give the workers that are out there working trying to clear the debris and clear the trees away room to work and so everyone can stay safe,” De Kruyf says.

He says no one was injured in the storm. “We did have a couple houses that some people were trapped in just simply because the exit or doorways were blocked with trees, but we got those people out safely,” De Kruyf says. De Kruyf says many of the toppled tree were large and old. “Orange City specifically, there’s a bunch of pretty old trees that are down and it’s pretty remarkable what this wind event did. It’s it’s snapped a bunch of trees that are quite old, probably ten feet up, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” De Kruyf says.

Tree damage in Sioux County. (KSOU photo)

Garner Mayor Tim Schmidt saw the same type of damage in his Hancock County town in north-central Iowa. “It’s quite severe, probably the worst I’ve ever seen,” Schmidt says. He says you couldn’t get anywhere right after the storm hit. “Streets were pretty impassable. I went up to City Hall prior to this storm, otherwise I would have never made it. They’ve been working and hitting the streets cleared. There was a lot of power lines down. Power has been restored on most of the houses,” he says. Schmidt says it’s going to take a lot of work clearing the large number of trees. “I’d say right now, rough estimates 150 to 200. You know you can’t go down a street without being damage,” he says.

Schmidt says the Hancock County Supervisors have declared the county a disaster area.

(An Iowa Capital Dispatch report) – How career and technical education for students across the state is implemented could see drastic changes in the coming years after the Iowa State Board of Education voted to shift millions in funding for these programs away from community colleges and to K-12 school districts. Community college officials told board members that changing the formula that determines how federal funding for career and technical education (CTE) is dispersed between community colleges and school districts would lead to students having less access, with colleges possibly having to close programs that school districts could not provide alone, even with additional dollars.

The Iowa State Board of Education voted in June to approve its 2025-2029 Perkins V (5) plan, which would change the ratio of allocations to community colleges and K-12 school districts from a 53.5% and 46.5% split to a 60-40 split, with K-12 schools getting the larger share. The more even ratio will be used for funding allocations in the 2025-2026 school year, with the new rates being implemented for the rest of the plan’s timeline. Perkins V funding comes from the Strengthening Career and Technical Education (CTE) for the 21st Century Act, and provides around $14.5 million to Iowa annually, according to the Iowa Department of Education website. These funds are distributed for use in CTE programs across the state, including career academies and other initiatives aimed at helping high school students start their career training.

The board approved the plan with the expectation of revisiting it at its December meeting, as members said during discussion they’d like to hear more information and feedback from community college and school district stakeholders before the new rates . Kyle Collins, associate vice president for academic affairs at Des Moines Area Community College, spoke during public comment at the meeting in opposition to the change and said in an interview moving dollars away from college CTE programs will negatively impact the quality of education students will receive in their career training, ultimately harming the workforce pipelines career academies and other initiatives create for local industries.

Around $400,000 of the $1.4 million DMACC usually receives in Perkins funding would instead be allocated to school districts, he said, and if that number is broken down among the 89 public, private and charter schools the college works with, each would receive an average of $4,500. Iowa Valley Community College District President Anne Howsare Boyens also spoke during public comment period, adding that an estimated $2 million will be allocated away from Iowa’s 15 community colleges and spread across the state’s more than 300 districts.

“Without this Perkins funding, rural community colleges may be forced to scale back or eliminate specialized CTE programs that are costly to maintain, threatening the long term viability and responsiveness of academic offerings to our community and industry needs,” Howsare Boyens said.

AMES, Iowa — As drone spraying technology rapidly reshapes agriculture across Iowa, producers, ag professionals, and entrepreneurs are seeking the knowledge to keep pace with this innovation. To meet that demand, Iowa State University’s Digital Ag Innovation Lab and Terraplex, Iowa’s premier drone spraying company, are co-hosting a new educational event:

Drone Spraying Essentials: From Basics to Application

Thursday, September 4, 2025
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Digital Ag Innovation Lab | 3800 University Blvd | Ames, IA 50010

Designed for a wide range of attendees, from curious farmers to licensed applicators and agtech startups—this full-day workshop will provide both foundational knowledge and advanced insights into the world of agricultural drone spraying.

ISU extension photo

Attendees will learn:

• How drone spraying is transforming farm practices
• Certification and licensing requirements for drone applicators
• Safe and effective drone operation strategies
• Legal and regulatory considerations
• Expert advice from industry leaders
• Live Q&A sessions with policy and technology experts

Whether you’re just exploring the technology or already working with spray drones, this event will offer valuable tools and connections to take your operation to the next level.

Terraplex, co-hosting the event, is known for its high-precision drone spraying services and commitment to revolutionizing agriculture through technology. Their mission:

“Revolutionize agriculture with cutting-edge drone technology to optimize operations and maximize yields.”

Registration Details

• Cost: $225 (includes lunch, breaks, and handouts)
• Pre-registration required – space is limited to 100 attendees
• Deadline to register: August 15 at 11:59 p.m.
• Register online: https://go.iastate.edu/ATMKGV

(Atlantic, IA) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors held a regular bi-weekly meeting this (Tuesday) morning, in Atlantic. During their session, the Board discussed bids from the July 15, 2025 Iowa DOT letting for a road resurfacing project. They heard from Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken, who said there were four for the N-28 (690^th Street) project, near Cumberland, from Highway 92 to the County line.

The bid of slightly more than $2.84-million from Blacktop Service Company out of Humboldt, was slightly higher than the engineer’s estimate, Wolken said. Wolken said he understands the timing of the project (harvest season, isn’t the best)…

Following discussion, the Supervisors awarded the project contract to Blacktop Service, and passed a Resolution to that effect. Wolken provided the Board with an update on various, ongoing Secondary Roads Department projects.

The Cass County Supervisors approved a FY25/26 wage for Sheriff’s Office Assistant Mandy Parks. The Board had overlooked paying the adjusted wage at an earlier meeting. The Board then discussed issuing a County credit card to new landfill (Cass County Environmental Control) Director Chris Jahnke, and approved the card for his use. Supervisor Steve Green…

They passed also, a resolution designating voting representatives for the Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC). And, since Cass County Treasurer Tracey Marshall was not available to present her report for the quarter that ended June 30, 2025, the Board tabled discussion about the report, until they could hear from Marshall, and ask questions if necessary. Commenting on Marshall’s written report, Supervisor Pettinger said, however, “It looks good. It looks like we’re in good shape.”

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he’s closely following reports that say as many as 220 workers at the J-B-S meatpacking plant in Ottumwa are being told to leave the country as their work visas are being revoked. Grassley calls the actions “very significant” for the southeast Iowa city and knows it will create waves of uncertainty there and elsewhere. “From reports, it sounds like these workers were staying in the United States through a program called Temporary Protective Status,” Grassley says. “It’s obvious by its name this program was meant to be temporary, and the Department of Homeland Security is responsible for designating and terminating temporary protective status.” Reports say the workers are from nations including Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

Grassley, a Republican, says he understands the impact this type of decision has on rural communities and on Iowa livestock producers. “President Trump wants farmers to succeed and Congress is working with the administration to provide farmers with as much certainty as possible,” Grassley says, “but obviously, you have less certainty when these deportations take place, as legal as it might be.” KCRG-TV reports Ottumwa Mayor Rick Johnson says J-B-S is giving each worker one-thousand dollars to help them self-deport. Instead of pulling hundreds of workers from Iowa factories, Grassley says he’d rather see ICE and Homeland Security focus the spotlight elsewhere.

Senator Grassley (file)

“I hope that we’re giving primary consideration to the deportation of people that are on the terrorist watch list or people that are human traffickers or people that are criminals, and I doubt we’ve got them all rounded up yet at this point,” Grassley says, “so I would encourage emphasis upon that.” During a conference call this (Tuesday) morning with Iowa reporters, Grassley focused the blame on the Biden administration, under which he says, “the border was just opened up for anybody to come here.”

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak arrested a woman on an assault charge this (Tuesday) morning. 35-year-old Lindsey Kylin Bricquel Hardin, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 8-a.m. in the 2400 block of N 8th Street, and charged with Domestic Abuse Assault-1st Offense. Hardin was being held in the Montgomery County Jail without bond.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office has released a report on arrests that occurred between July 22nd and the 27th.

On the 27th: 40-year-old Jessica Jo Clymer, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the southbound I-29 rest area in Mills County. She was charged with two counts of Possession of Methamphetamine (under 5 grams), and Unlawful, Ongoing Criminal Conduct. Clymer was being held in the Mills County Jail on bond amounting to $40,000 altogether.

On July 26th, Mills County Deputies arrested 33-year-old Nile Jonathan Packett, of Pacific Junction, for Domestic Assault/Choking-Bodily Injury. His bond was set at $5,000.

On July 25th, 21-year-old Francisco Guzman, of Omaha, was arrested in Pacific Junction for Reckless Driving.

A man from Glenwood was arrested July 24th on multiple charges, including: Burglary in the 3rd Degree; four counts of Burglary in the 3rd Degree – Vehicle/1st offense; Theft in the 2nd Degree -Vehicle, and Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree. 18-year-old Cameron Alan Germar was being held in the Mills County Jail on $20,000 bond. The previous day (July 23rd), 18-year-old Faith Marie Scholting, of Pacific Junction, was arrested in Glenwood on identical charges. Her bond was set at $10,000.

And, there were two arrested on July 22nd, in Mills County: 62-year-old David Lee Wettengel, of Council Bluffs, was arrested in Glenwood for Failure to Appear (in court). Bond was set at $2,000; and, 62-year-old David James Nisley, of Glenwood, was arrested for OWI/1st offense, with bond set at $1,000.

Des Moines, IA (July 29, 2025) – Officials with the Des Moines International Airport say with the opening of a brand-new terminal just a year and a half away, the  Airport continues to grow and break records. The latest milestone: Allegiant’s announcement of a new nonstop route from Des Moines (DSM) to Fort Myers, Florida (RSW), bringing DSM’s total number of nonstop destinations to an all-time high of
35. The new flight will operate twice weekly starting in November, just in time for Iowans to escape the winter chill and enjoy Florida’s Gulf Coast sunshine.

CEO of the Des Moines Airport Authority, Brian Mulcahy says “This is a great addition for Des Moines International Airport. To reach 35 nonstop destinations, six of which were added this year alone, is a direct result of strong passenger demand, growing partnerships, and the trust airlines like Allegiant have in our region. Enplanements on Allegiant are up 14% this year.”

June 2025 was another record-setting month for DSM, with enplanements up 6.5% over the previous record set in June 2024. On June 20th, the airport saw its busiest day ever, with 6,832 passengers processed through TSA – a clear sign that summer travel is in full swing. The addition of the Fort Myers route marks Allegiant’s ninth nonstop flight from DSM to Florida and its 19th nonstop route overall. Earlier this year, the airline launched service to Boston (BOS) and Jacksonville (JAX), with another new route to Gulf Shores, Alabama (GUF) set to begin in October.

Allegiant began service at DSM in 2003. In July 2021, the airline established Des Moines as a base of operations and is currently the only airline based in the state of Iowa. As DSM continues to serve record volumes and prepares for the future with its new terminal opening in 2027, today’s announcement underscores the airport’s role as a critical transportation hub for Iowa and the Midwest.